WINNIPEG — When Jakob Chychrun skated down the ice for the first drill of the Washington Capitals’ morning skate Tuesday at Canada Life Centre, he felt something hitting him in the back of the head.
It was a $100 bill, which had been taped to the back of the defenseman’s jersey by one of his teammates. Just before Washington’s skate, the Capitals announced that Chychrun had signed an eight-year contract extension worth $72 million. On the ice, he also skated with the No. 72 on the front of his helmet.
Through laughter, Chychrun made it clear that pranks like that — and what they mean about how the Capitals’ dressing room operates — are a key part of why he wanted to stay in Washington for the long haul.
“The organization is incredible,” he said. “Obviously, the group of guys and what we have in this room is so special. I’ve loved working with the coaching staff. Everything. Everything has just been so great.
“We were really hoping to get something done. I think up until a few days ago, talks were pretty slow and pretty quiet, which was also kind of nice because I wasn’t thinking about it much. There just wasn’t much going on. And then the last couple days, it got done. We’re very, very happy.”
The extension carries an annual average value of $9 million, making Chychrun the highest-paid defenseman on Washington’s roster, topping John Carlson ($8 million). The deal runs through the 2032-33 season.
“Jakob is a proven, dynamic defenseman in the prime of his career who has established himself as one of the premier blueliners in the NHL,” General Manager Chris Patrick said in a statement. “His work ethic, skill set, and ability to excel in all situations at both ends of the ice make him a valuable asset to our team. He is a perfect fit with our culture and vision for the future, and we couldn’t be more thrilled that he will continue to be part of our organization for the next eight years.”
Chychrun, who turns 27 next week, has set a career high in points with 43 in 65 games. He entered Tuesday ranked first among NHL defensemen in game-winning goals with six, tied for second in power-play goals with five and tied for sixth in even-strength plus-minus at plus-26.
The Capitals acquired Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators on July 1 for defenseman Nick Jensen and a third-round draft pick. Chychrun is in the final season of a six-year contract paying him $4.6 million per year; he was set to become an unrestricted free agent.
“It’s a huge signing for our organization, for our team, for the future,” Coach Spencer Carbery said. “He’s done an amazing job since coming here at the beginning of the year. He’s fit in so seamlessly well with our group, his personality. … He has an elite skill set for a defenseman in the National Hockey League. But what I really appreciate and why I think the deal and the length of it is a great decision is because he’s hungry to win and he’s in a constant pursuit of excellence every single day.”
Talks for the deal picked up steam Friday — after Capitals owner Ted Leonsis wore Chychrun’s jersey to Washington’s win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night. That, too, brought a round of jokes and laughs from Chychrun’s teammates, who wondered whether they had missed a memo on an extension.
As of that night, they hadn’t, but the deal was completed within a few days after Chychrun got a phone call from his agent Friday morning.
“It was funny because the boys were all over me and wondering if something happened,” Chychrun said. “It was slow until that point, but then the next morning, there was a phone call with my agent. That’s when it really started to pick up. I don’t know if Ted got involved. I have no idea. But from that night, it was pretty quick.”
